I get
that the Cincinnati Bearcats are a marvelous defensive team. I also
get that the Knights were missing leading scorer B.J. Taylor for all
but 11 minutes of the game. But I’ve been to enough games this
season to know that Sunday’s game against Cincy, from an offensive
standpoint, was the same old UCF song and dance.

You
know the drill because you’ve seen it all year, just like me. Most
possessions, UCF lets the shot clock tick down to about 10 without
making a meaningful move toward the hoop. Then, the player with the
ball is stuck with trying to get the best shot possible before it
reaches zero. Oftentimes, the shot isn’t a good one at all.

Their
unwillingness to attack the basket earlier in each possession is the
reason the Knights had just six assists all game against the
Bearcats, and why they attempted just two free throws after halftime.
When you don’t take the ball strong to the basket, you typically
don’t get many assists or go to the free-throw line often.

In an
effort to keep the number of possessions down and the score low, it
appears UCF Head Coach Donnie Jones has opted to employ this
strategy, believing it gives his team the best chance to be
competitive. It can be effective when you have a guy or two capable
of breaking down a defense and getting his own shot, but this year’s
Knights team doesn’t have anyone who consistently qualifies.

UCF is
now 2-6 in The American and could easily be 0-8 absent a few heroic
overtime baskets. Is it time for a new strategy, or is this the best
we can expect this year? Unless there is a dramatic turnaround prior
to the season’s end, Donnie Jones will find himself on the
proverbial coaching hot seat.